The proposal to allow direct membership into BN has raised the ire of component parties who fear that the newly created 'friends of BN' membership will be fielded as candidates in the elections. 

A highly placed BN source said that details of the new category created to accomodate direct membership to the BN coalition had yet to be ironed out. 

This will nevertheless require an amendment to the BN constitution.

Although the matter was proposed earlier this year, there has been no formal discussions on the matter as yet, lamented several component party leaders.

However, the source believes that the matter will take centre stage during the BN convention at the MCA headquarters on Nov 28. 

“There are many grey areas that we need to discuss further. Direct membership into the party, yes, we can agree to this. But what if they (BN members) want to contest?

“If they don’t agree to join any of the component parties but they want to contest in elections as BN candidates, will that be possible?” asked the source.

"And if such members were allowed to contest under the BN banner, BN component parties will inevitably lose the right to contest certain seats."

The crux of the proposal was to provide a platform for BN supporters, who wanted to be part of the coalition but refused to join any of the coalition's component parties.

BN leaders believe that providing a platform for the coalition's supporters would stem the flow of supporters to rival coalition Pakatan Rakyat.

Undermining component parties 

Questions are also being raised about the possible logistical problems for component parties posed by the 'friends of BN' membership.

"Say a person who joins as a 'friend of BN', but that person had been expelled from one of the component parties...

"Doesn't this rob component party leaders of their powers and undermine their decision?” asked a component party president on condition of anonimity.

Component parties are also worried about an apparent proposal to establish a committee to decide on BN candidates for elections, thereby usurping powers of component party leaders.

“It’s been the practice since BN was formed for party leaders to nominate their candidate of choice. Although the ultimate decision lies in the hands of the president, it is still our prerogative,” he the source. 

Direct membership was among several issues which component parties have raised about proposed amendments to the BN constitution.

Losing veto rights

Component parties are also concerned with proposals to do away with the veto rights or "consensus system" within the BN supreme council.

According to sources, it was proposed that veto rights be replaced with a majority-based decision-making system.

                

“What if there is a decision that affects one component party member and there is disagreement, but because the majority agrees on it, will it go through?

“Or for example, say an organisation applies to join BN, although some don’t agree but there is a majority of ‘ayes’, they will be accepted. How do we then work with people we can’t see eye-to-eye with?” asked the source.

Among the best examples of this system was MIC's consistent exercising of its veto rights on the rejection of Indian Progressive Front (IPF) into BN's fold.

Under this system, a decision cannot be made without full endorsement of the coalition's 13 component parties. 

 

However, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also BN’s deputy president, assured today that concept of consensus will be retained and the amendments, if implemented, it will not render component party leaders as mere figureheads.